An independent
expert appointed by the Human Rights Council has expressed deep concern at the
recent imposition of unilateral coercive measures on Cuba, Venezuela and Iran
by the United States, saying the use of economic sanctions for political
purposes violates human rights and the norms of international behaviour. Such action
may precipitate man-made humanitarian catastrophes of unprecedented
proportions.
“Regime change
through economic measures likely to lead to the denial of basic human rights
and indeed possibly to starvation has never been an accepted practice of international
relations,” said Idriss Jazairy, the UN Special Rapporteur concerned with the
negative impact of sanctions. “Real concerns and serious political differences
between governments must never be resolved by precipitating economic and humanitarian disasters, making ordinary people pawns and hostages thereof.”
The
implementation of Title III of the Helms Burton Act – allowing U.S. citizens to
file lawsuits against Cuban entities and foreign companies over property seized
and used following Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution – ignored protests by the
European Union and Canada and was a direct attack on European and Canadian
companies in Cuba, where they are the top foreign investors.
“The resort by a
major power of its dominant position in the international financial arena
against its own allies to cause economic hardship to the economy of sovereign
States is contrary to international law, and inevitably undermines the human
rights of their citizens,” the Special Rapporteur said.
On 17 April the
United States banned the Central Bank of Venezuela from conducting transactions
in US dollars after 17th May, and will cut off access to US personal
remittances and credit cards by March 2020.
“It is hard to
figure out how measures which have the effect of destroying Venezuela’s
economy, and preventing Venezuelans from sending home money, can be aimed at
‘helping the Venezuelan people’, as claimed by the US Treasury,” the expert
said.
His statements
follow claims in a recent report published by the Washington-based Centre for Economic and Policy Research that 40,000 people may have died in Venezuela
since 2017 because of US sanctions.
Jazairy also
said he was concerned the US would not renew waivers for international buyers
of Iranian oil, despite protests from NATO ally Turkey, among others.
Washington has demanded that all remaining States which benefited from waivers
stop purchases on May 1, or face sanctions.
“The
extraterritorial application of unilateral sanctions is clearly contrary to
international law,” the expert said. “I am deeply concerned that one State can
use its dominant position in international finance to harm not only the Iranian
people, who have followed their obligations under the UN-approved nuclear deal
to this day, but also everyone in the world who trades with them.
“The
international community must come together to challenge what amounts to
blockades ignoring a country’s sovereignty, the human rights of its people, and
the rights of third countries trading with sanctioned States, all while
constituting a threat to world peace and security.
“I call on the
international community to engage in constructive dialogue with Venezuela, Cuba,
Iran and the United States to find a peaceful resolution in compliance with the
spirit and letter of the Charter of the United Nations before the arbitrary use
of economic starvation becomes the new ‘normal’.”
UN expert: Mr.
Idriss Jazairy (Algeria) was appointed by the Human Rights Council as the first
Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures
on the enjoyment of human rights. He took office in May 2015. Mr. Jazairy has
extensive experience in the fields of international relations and human rights
with the Algerian Foreign Ministry, the UN human rights system and
international NGOs. He holds a M.A. (Oxford) in Philosophy, Politics and
Economics, and an M.P.A. (Harvard). He also graduated from the Ecole nationale
d’Administration (France). Mr. Jazairy is the author of books and many articles
in the international press on development, human rights and current affairs.
The Special
Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human
Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in
the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent
fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country
situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’
experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a
salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization
and serve in their individual capacity.
